Airplane wing



July 18, 1933. -'L. COLBURN 1,918,897

AIRPLANE WING Filed May 16, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l m X INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

July 18, 1933. COLBURN 1,918,897

AIRPLANE WING Filed May 16, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

. TTURNE Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIRPLANE WING Application filed. May 16, 1932. Serial No. 611,558.

This invention relates to wings for airplanes, and the principal objectis to prov de an improved form of wing having a medial, transversely extended, flexible variable lift t panel, .together with means for man pulating the same, and whereby by flexing or buckling the panel downwardly or inwardly, a concaved surface or hollow may be presented to the stream of air flowing over the top of the wing thus creating a partial vacuum within the said hollow and facilitating the rising or' taking off of the plane, as well as the landing thereof.

Another object is to provide an airplane structure, including a wing having a flexible, transversely arranged panel and means for manipulating the same and wherebya depression or hollow may be formed at Wlll across the top of the wing, together with an air-way or air stream channel built in the nose of the plane, whereby an air stream is more effectively created and directed up over the said hollowed panel of the wing for the purposes aforesaid.

With these and such other objects and advantages in view as may be developed in the specification, attention is directedto the'accompanying drawings as constituting a part of the specification and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of awing rib as constructed in accordance with my invention, the medial flexible panel of my invention being shown in section. In this View the flexible panel is shown expanded to the level of the balance of the wing;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, except that the flexible panel is shown as contracted or drawn down inwardlyto form the required depression across the top of the wing.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a medial portion of a wing constructed in accordance with my invention, the ends thereof being broken off.

Figure 4 is a relatively enlarged view of the structure of Figure 1, the rear portion of the structure being broken away.

Figure 5 is a detail of two adjacent ribs and connections, on the-scale of Figure 1, the 50 rear ends of the ribs being broken away.

'of the head of the plane.

Figure 6 is a detail to the scale of Figures 4 and 5, showing the manner of fastening 0n the nose ribs and nose panel.

' Figure 7 is a detail of one of the nose ribs.

Figure 8 is an end view of the nose panel.

Figure 9 is a detail of one of the bolts used for securing the nose panel in place. I

In the construction of an airplane wing embodying my' invention, I provide a frame comprising a plurality of spaced ribs 1 tied together by spars 2. The ribs 1 are cut away or recessed medially at their upper sides, as shown at 3, the lower lines of cleavage lying substantially parallel to the bottom lines of the ribs, as shown at 4, while at the forward 55 ends of the ribs, the lines of cleavage are directed abruptly upward, as shown at 5, and end in notches 6 formed immediately back of the heads 7 of the ribs. An operating shaft 8 is journaled through bifurcated brackets 9 extended rearwardly from the forward spar 2 between the ribs 1. A flexible, variable lift panel 10 is extended transversely across the wing over the recessed portions of the ribs 1, being fastened to the ribs at its rear 76 margin, as shown at 11, and having its forward margin freely seated within the notches 6 of the rib heads. This panel 10 is of such material as will normally maintain itself in a symmetrically flat alignment with the balance of the wing, but will yield readily to a stress tending to flex or buckle the panel inwardly or downwardly. Brackets 12 are de' pended from the panel in transverse alignment with each other and in longitudinal 8i alignment with the brackets 9. Tljiese brackets are bifurcated at their lower ends and the ends are slotted in transverse alignment, as shown at 13. Connectin arms 14 have their forward ends 15 rigidly 0ined to the shaft 8 00 inside the bifurcated brackets 9, while their rear ends 16 are slidably connected with the slotted ends of the brackets 12 by means of pins 17 passed through said ends and loosely through said slots 13. Thus as the shaft 8 9! is rotated in the proper direction, the arms 14 and panel 10 are drawn downward, and a depression 18 is formed transversely along the upper side of the panel immediately back Thenose of the conventional plane wing is curved downwardly and forwardly as shown at 19, and in accordance with my invention, I provide a curved nose panel 20 tapered from its forward end 21 to its tail 22, the curvature of this panel conforming to that of the head. This panel ispositioned over the head and is held in spaced relation thereto by curved nose ribs 23 which are positioned between the 10' conventional win covering 24 and the said nose anel 20. he ribs 23 are positioned imm iately over or upon the forward ends of the main win ribs 1 and are secured in such ition byboIts 25 passed through the assemled structures and held-by nuts26 set within the nose portions of the ribs. The rear portion-of the-wing is also, of course, covered with a conventional covering, as shown at 27. The arrangement, positioning and spacing of the nose panel is such, that a number of air channels 28 are thus provided between the nose anel 20 and the regular covering 24 there ing a separate channel between each pair of the nose ribs 23, each said channel belng curved and somewhat tapered from their frontal o enings or mouths 29 back to the rear openings 30. a

An operating lever 31 is rigidly joined to the shaft 8 and is extended to the hand of the ilot. p In use and operation, as when the plane is m the act of taking off or landing, the pilot flexes or depresses the panel 10 by manipulation of, the lever 31,.thereby creating a concaved depression 18 along the back of the wfing. In this operation the frontal margin 0 notches 6, as shown in Figure 2. Under the forward movement of the plane, streams of air enter the mouths 29 and flow rapidly back through the channels 28 out through the rear openings 30, and thence flowjout over the.

depression 18. This action causes or creates a partial vacuum within the said depression 18, so that the upward pressure of the air at the under side of the wing acts to raise the wing bodily upward. As stated, this action is hi hly advantageous either in the process of tafiing ofl or in landing. After the plane is the panel moves somewhat out of the ef-am raised to the required height, a simple turn of the shaft 8 will flatten out the panel 10 for straight away flight.

While I have herein described a certain specific manner and method of constructing and assembling the elements of my invention, it is understood that I may vary from the same in minor details, not departing from the spirit of my invention, so as best to construct a practical device for the purpose intended, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An airplane wing having a medial portion of its covering cut away transversely of the wing, the underlying ribs being also correspondingly recessed at their top sides, a flexible panel secured in position over the said opening and adapted to be flexed down to form a depression along the upper side of the wing, means for so flexing the said'panel, and separate means for causing an air stream to flow back over the said depression.

2. An airplane wing structure com rising in combination a conventional wing aving an opening formed therein, the underlying supporting wings being correspondingly recessed at their upper sides, a flexible panel mounted in said openin and adapted to flex down thereinto, means or so flexing the said panel, and a nose panel mounted in spaced relation upon the nose of the wing for providing air channels adapted to cause currents of air to flow back over said flexible panel.

3. In an airplane wing recessed at its upper side and having a nose portion, the forward and rear portions of the frame being covered leaving an intermediate opening and there being a exible panel mounted over said opening, an operating shaft journaled transversely through the frame below the panel, and connections between the operating shaft and the panel whereby the latter may be flexed in or out through the rotation of the shaft in one direction or the other, and a nose panel positioned over and in spaced relation to the nose of the wing for creating air channels directed backward towards said flexible panel.

I LLOYD COLBURN. 

